Electric-elevator controller.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

H. P. GURN'EY. ELECTRIC ELEVATOR CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED AP3.30,1906.

WITNESSES' ELM ATTORN EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD F. GURNEY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRlC-ELEVATOR CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed April 30.1906. Serial No. 314,397.

' ing specification and point out the novel features't-hereof in claims. I

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram showing certain apparatus andelectrical circuits which embody my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 1, but with the parts in another of their operative positions. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a detail.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

+ and designate mains from a suitable source of electrical supply which, after pass:

ing through a main-line switch 10, pass to various parts of the apparatus through cir-.

cuits which will be fully described later.

' is a starting switch for the motor and it comprises a plurality of stationary contacts, here designated by 21, 22, 23, 24, and 26, and two'movable contacts or contact-plates 27 and 28. These movable contactplates are attached to but insulated from a vertical rod 29 which is connected by means of another rod 47 to the core 46 of a solenoid magnet, the winding of which is designated by 45.

57 designates an air-cushion which may be interposed between the. solenoid and the' starting switch 20, and this air-cushion may he constructed as shown of a hollow cylindrical shell closed at both ends and a piston 58 ada )tcd to tit more or less closely within this cy indrical shell. This piston 58 is atit lied to the rod 41 .30 designates a reversing switch somewhat similar. in construction to'the starting switcl'i 20 and it comprises a plurality of stationary contacts 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 and two movable contacts or contactplates 39 and 40 which are attached to but insulated from a vertical rod 41. This vertical rod 41 is arranged to be directlyabove the'vertical rod 29. -Apende nt 42 is pivoted at the lower end of the rod 41 at. 43 and: ar'

ranged to normally remain in alinement with the rods 41 and 29. This pendent is provided with a slot 42 into which a pin 91 projects. This pin 91 is on a rod 91 one end of which is attached to the core 91 of a solenoid 90. A. contact plate 92 is connected to but insulated from the other end of the rod 9?] This contact-plate is arranged to be moved against and to bridge stationary and 96. The core 91 and its connected contact-plate92 is arranged to be normally held in one direction by a spring 98 or by otl'ier suitable means until the. contact-plate 92 connects and bridges the stationary contacts 93 and 94. The core 91 is arranged to be moved in the other direction whenever the solenoid 90 is energized until contact-plate 92 bridges and connects stationary contacts 95 and 96.

to be moved to one side and the pin will therefore draw the pendent 42 to one side into the position indicatedby dotted lines.

designates an electric motor which is to be controlled and it comprises an armature 51 and a shunt-field 54. The armature ter contacts 93 and 94 or stationary contacts 95 At the same time, this will cause the pin 91 minals are connected by conductors 52 and 53 to stationary contacts 32 and 34, respectively. The shunt-field terminals are connected by conductors 55 and 56 to stationary contacts 25 and 24, respectively.

7 O designates an automatic rheostat arranged to gradually cut a resistance out of the ,motor circuit. This rheostat comprises a movable brush 71 which is insulated from but mounted upon-a rod 75. This brush 71 is arranged to bear upon a stationary contact 72 and to be moved over the contact 72 and a plurality of stationary contacts 78, 73, to which contacts a resistance 74 is connected. The lower end of rod 7 5'e ttends into a dash pot 77 and is connected to a piston 78 within the dash-pot. The piston 78 is provided with a valve 7 8 which is closed upon the downward movement of the piston. 78 but which is automatically opened upon the upward movement of the piston 78. The cylrai'iged to be filled with oil and in a wellknown manner offers resistance to the quick movement of its piston 78 on its dowmvard stroke, but offers but little resistance to the movement ofits piston during its upward stroke. I prefer to construct the dash-pot 7 7 with a bypass 79 which extends from the l bottom of thecylinderof the dash-pot to a inder of the dash-pot 77 'is preferably arpointsomewhat below the upper end of the pistons travel The size of this by-pass may be regulated by means of a screw 79*'. Above the automatic rheostat 70 is a movable contact 89 which is arranged to be moved up against a stationary contact 88 by the rod 75 when the latter is at the upper end of its travel. 88 designates a resistance whichis connected between the stationary contacts 88 and 89. I

120. designates a rod \iVlllOlLiS pivoted at 121 and which is arranged to connect the-rod y 47, which is connected to the solenoid 46, to

the rod 75 of the automatic rheostat 70. This it does by means of a pin 122 on the rod 47 and a similar pin123 on the rod 75. The

pins are so arranged that when the starting switch is open and the rods 29 and 47 are in their lowest position the pin 122 will rest upon one end of rod 120 and' bear that end downward and this willat the same time cause the other end of rod 120 to be raised against the pin 123 and to thereby cause the rod 75 to be moved to its upper position.

60 designates a brake which is arranged to be actuated by the solenoid 45. This brake is arranged-to act upon abrake-pulley 61 which is preferably arranged" to be connected directly to the shaft 61 of the motor 50. The brake 60" comprises twobrake-levers 62, 62 which are pivoted at 63, 63 and which are connectedin a suitable manner to a Weighted arm 64 which is pivoted at 5 and which is connected at 66 to the solenoid core 46."

Before proceeding with the description of the rest of the apparatus I will point out the operation-of this brake 60. The weighted arm 64 together with the weight of the solenoid core 46 and its connected parts normally tend to press thebrake levers 62, 62 against' the brake-pulley 61 When, however, the solenoid'coil is energized and thereby raists its core 46 the weighted arm 64 is moved about its ivot in such a manner as to 62 from the slack.

100 designates an automatic stop-motion switch which may be arranged to be actuated by the motion of the elevator-car or its hoisting mechanism. It compri es two switch arms 101 and'102.

These switcn' arms are arranged t0 be actuated by a cam 105 which is moved to actuate either the arm 101 or the arm 102 wheneventhe car reaches one end or the other of its travel. The switch arm 101 is arranged to control contacts 103 and the switch arm 102 is arranged to control contacts 104. These contacts are in circuits which will be presently pointed out.

I have pointed out the various parts of the apparatus which I use in carrying out my invention and I will now trace their connecting electrical circuits and. describe the operation of the various parts. The iiiain-lin'es and are connected by means of the conductors 11 and 14 tothe stationary contacts 26 and 22. A conductor 83 is connected to the positive or main and through the slack cable switch 83 to the pivoted arm 82 of the car-switch 81. If an operator in a car now ,moves the arm 82 to the right so that it comes in contact with the stationary contact 85, a circuit will be completed thereby through conductor 85", contact 104 of the stopmotio n switch and to stationary contact 93. This is now connected by contact-plate 02 to stationary contact 94 and the circuit .will continue through conductor 86 to one of.

the terminals of the winding of solenoid 45. The other terminal of this solenoid winding is connected by a conductor 87 to the stationary contact 88. The movable contact 89 is now in contact with stationary contact and the circuit will thereby continue through these --contacts and through conductor 14 to the negative or main. to which it is connected. A-current' will therefore flow throughthe solenoid 45 and it will be ener gized thereby and will raise its core 46 with its connected parts. The brake-levers will 'be released by this operation as has already been shown. The contact-plates 27 and 28 will be-raised up so that they connect stationary contacts 21, 22, and 25, 26, respectively.

The upward movement of rod 29 will push thependent and its connected rod 41 upward until the contact-plates 39 and 40 contact with and connect stationary contacts 33, 34

and 37, 38, respectively. A projection 44 is l provided upon the rod 41 and this will now be raised above and latched upon a projec-' tion 97 which is connected to solenoid core 91. The rod 41 and its connected parts will be held thereby in their raised position until further acted upon in a manner which will appear later.

, When the parts are now raisedinto the positions above described the current'will ilow to the motor 50 through the following paths.

The shunt-field 54 will be connected directly across the main-lines because its conductor 55 which is connected to stationary contact 25 is now connected to the posit ve main 11 by the contact-plate 28which bridges contacts 25 and 26; and its conductor 56 which is'connected to stationary contact 24 will now be connected to the other main by the 2 gradually a current Wlll flow to the motor armature 51 74, to the up er of stationary contacts 73; v thence throng contact 38 is'connected to one of the motor armature terminals by conductor 52.

by conductor nected to stationary contact 22 by example, the car contact-plate 27 which bridges contacts 21 and 22, the latter of which, 22, is connected directly to the negative main 14 and the other of which, 21, is permanently connected to stationary-contact 24. At the same time from positive main 11, stationary contacts 26 and 25, which are bridged by contactplate 28, through conductor 12, resistance brush 71 ,"1 stationary contact 72,-conductor 13 to stationary contact 37. This is now connected to stationary contact- 38 by the contact-plate 40, and stationary The other motor armature terminal is connected 53 to stationary contact 34 which is now connected by contact-plate 39 to' stationary contact 33. The latter stationary contact 33 is connected by conductor to stationary contact 21 which is now concontactplate 27 and thecircuit is thereby completed y the negative main 14. This will cause the motor to rotatein one direction and its connected car to travel in one direction. I For may be moved upward. The solenoid core 46 will, atthe same time that it has closed the starting switch and actuated the reversing switch 30, raise pin 122 above the end'ot pivoted'rod 120. This will causethe other endoi rod 120 to be moved down below the path of travel of pin 123 on rod 75 and will allow the brush 71 to move down. over stationary contacts 73 under the action of the dash-pot 77 This will cause the resistance 7 4 to be gradually cut out of the 'motor armature circuit and will allow the motor to gradually accelerate. The dash-pot 77 is constructed, as before (le scribedp-for the purpose of'causing the first movement of the brush 71 across the stationary contacts-73 to be slower than the remainder of its'movement. This purpose of preventing the motor from receiving too,

great an inrush oi current and for providing means for the before too much of the starting resistance. is cut out from its circuit. The rearmature to get into motion nia-inder of the travel of brush 71 may be regi ulated by means of the screw 79 to cause the i acceleration of the motor to be made at the desiredrate. It may be seen by an inspection of the diagram that when the brush 71 has reached the lower of contacts 7 3, the entire starting resistance 7 4 is cut out from the motor armature circuit and that the current l will .pass directly from the main 11 to the i left-hand motor armature terminal.

As soon as the upper portion of rod 7 9 is moved down away from contact 89 the contact 89 will drop away from the stationary contact 88 and will thereby cause the resistance 88 to be inserted in the circuit with so, i

' plate and the motor will come to rest.

lenoid winding 45. This serves a double function, for it reduces the amount of current which assesthrough solenoid 15, and thereby ad s to the economy of operating this device, and at the same time the resistance 88 causes the resistance of the circuit of the solenoid winding 15 to be so great that the solenoid cannot be sufficiently energized to raise its core 16, if the latter is in its down. position, until ti: 9 contact 89 is gain moved against the contact 88. This will make it impossibleto close the starting switch 20 until all of the resistance 7 4 is again inserted in.

the armature circuit. The motor will continue to run in this direction until the operator moves the contact-arm 82 away from stationary contact'85, or until the automatic stop motion at 104, in either of which cases the circuit, through solenoid winding 45, will be broken and. the solenoid core with its connected parts will return to their original position.

switch 100 breaks the contacts This will cause the contact-plates 27 and 28 to drop back away from stationary contac ts 21, 22 and 25, 26, and will cause the contact- 28 to drop against and connect stationary contacts 23 and 24', at the same time, it will cause the brake 60 to be applied The rod 41 of the reversing switch will, however, re main in itsraised position, because oi the projection 44:being latched against the projection 9 The air-cushion 57 may be placed, as shown, to prevent the slamming of the parts actuated by solenoid core a6 in both theirupward and downward movements,

When the contact-plate 28 is moved down against stationary contacts 23 and 24,. a circult is completed thereby from the motor armature 51-, through conductor 52, stationary When the starting switch 20 is closed the 1 pin 122 will be raised somewhat above the upper end of the rod 120. This is for the purpose of allowing the contact-plates 27 and 28 to be moved away from their stationary coni tacts before the weight oi the core 16 and its connected parts is called upon to do any ad ditional work. A further movement, however, of the core 46 and its connected parts will cause the pin 122 to be brought down upon the right-hand end of rod "120 and will cause the other end of rodlZt) to motor armature circuit while tlonary contact in the solenoid core 91,

push upward'against pin 123 and to thereby raise brush 71 to its"upper position. The portion of resistance 74, then, which remains in the the motor is coming to rest, will be that portion which is connected between the upper stationary contact 73 and the conductor 23. If the motor has been stopped by the operator, moving pivoted arm 82 away from stacar-switch 81, the i motor may be started by'his-repeating the operation, but Without any effect whatever on the reversing switch 30 which will remain in its upper or raised position which is shown in Fig, 2.- If, however, the operator desires i to start the motor 'in-thebpposite direction, I and to thereby cause the car to move downward, he will move pivoted contact arm 82 against stationary contact 84 in the carswitch 81. This will cause a circuit to. be i completed through conductors 83 and .84, contact 103 of the automatic sto -motion1 switch and conductor 84 to one en oid winding 90. The otherend of this solenoid winding is connected by a conductor 14 to the main line conductor 14. Solenoid will thereby be energized and will pull its core 91 to the. right. T his will move contactplate 92 against stationary contacts 95 and i 96,-and will thereby close a circuit through solenoid winding 45 in the manner previously described. It will, at the same time, move 1 the projection 97, which is connected to I away from the projection 44 on rod41 and allow the rod 41 to drop so that its contact-plates 39 and 40 will move down I onto contacts 31 and '32, and 35 and36, re-

will also move the pendant 42 over into the position indicated by dotted lines, in which position it is out of the path I of travel of the rod 29. The starting switch I 20 may therefore be closed without affecting l the position of the reversing switch 30. RV i I spectively, and

tracing the circuits it may be seen that the operation is similar to that already described, but that in this case the mains 1] and 14 are connected to the-motor armature 51 in the opposite direction. The motor will therefore I rotate in the opposite direction and the au- I tomatic rheostat 70 will cause the motor to accelerate in the manner already described. i The operator may again bring the motor to rest by moving the away from stationary contact 84'. He may start the motor up again in the same direcpivoted contact-arm. 82

tion and the'operation will be the same as that already described, except that the re versing switch 30 will remain in its downj ward position. I In the arrangement herein shown and de l scribed I have provided a starting switch and i a reversing switch for an electric motor with the parts so arranged that the starting switch j may be acmated-independently of the reversi of solenthat the reversing switch position 1n which it was ing switch and so W1 1 remain 1n the and stopped any desired number of times without actuating the reversing switch, but so that the reversing switch will be actuated whenever the operator desires to run the motor in the opposite direction from that last used. This is a decided improvement over devices formerly .used. This controller, which I prefer to call a straight-line controller, has many other advantages which may be readilyseen and which will be fullypointed-outin the following claims, but which are capable of modifications and arev therefore not limited to the exact construction and arrangement of the parts herein shown and described.

What I claim is. p

1.. In combination with a motor, a revcrsing switch therefor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in either of said operative positions, an electrically actuated starting switch for said motor er- I ranged to be actuated independently of the reversing switch and means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to move with the starting switch. v 2. In combination with a motor, a rcvcrsing switch therefor having two operative positions and arranged to he held in either of said operative positions, a starting switch for said motor, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the starting switch independently of the reversing switch, and means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to he actuated by the electromagnet with the starting switch.

In combination with a motor, a. brake, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to he held in either of saidoperative positions. a start ing switch, an electromagnet arrangcd'io actuate the brake and the starting switch indcpendently of the reversing switch, and

' means for mechanically connecting the reversmg switch to be actuated. by the elm-tronagnet with the brake and the starting switch.

4. In combination with a motor, a brake, a starting switch for the motor, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the starting switch and the brake, and an air-cushion arranged tocontrol the movement of the electromagnet in both directions.

5. In combination witha motor, circuits therefor, a brake, an automatic rheostat in the motor circuits, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in either of said operative positions. a starting switch, an clcctromagnet arranged to actuate the brake and the starting switch independently of the reversing switch and to control the automatic rheo stat, and means for mechanicallyconnecting ing a resistance in the motor circuit, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in either of said operative positions, a starting switch, an electromagnet, arranged, when energigied, to actuate the starting switch and the brake independently of thereversing switch and to control the automatic rheostat, means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be moved by the electromagnet with the starting switch andthe brake, and means to prevent the energization 01 the clectromagnet until all of the re-v sistance of the automatic rheostat is in the motor circuit.

7. In combination with amotor, circuits therefor, a brake, an automatic rheostat hav-' ing a resistance in the motor circuit, a dashpot for controlling the action of the rheostat, said dash-pot arranged to control the rheostat to cut out a portion oi the resistance from the motor circuit slowly and to cut out the remainder of the resistance more rapidly at a predetermined rate of speed, means for regulating said predetermined rate of speed, a reversing switch for the motorhaving two operative positions and arranged to be held in either or" said operative positions, a starting switch,-an electromagnet arranged, when energized, to actuate the starting switch and the brake independently of the reversing switch and'to control the automatic rheostat, and means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be moved by the electromagnet with the starting switch and the "brake.

8. In an electric elevator, the combination of a motor, an elevator car, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in either of said operative positions, a starting switch for said motor, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the starting switch independently of the reversing switch, and means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be actuated by the-electromagnet with the starting switch.

.9. In an electric elevator, the combination of a motor, an elevator-car, a brake, a starting switch for the motor, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the starting switch and the brake, and an air cushion arranged to control the movement of the electromagnet in both directions.

10. In an electric elevator, the combination of a motor, an elevator-car, circuits for the motor, a brake, an automatic rheostat in the motor circuits, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions, and arranged to be held in either of said operative positions, a starting switch, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the brake-and the starting switch independently of the reversing switch and to control the automatic rheostat, and means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be'moved bythe electromagnet with the brake and the starting switch.

11. In combination with a motor, circuits therefor, a brake, an automatic rheostat in the motor circuits, a dash-pot for controlling the .action of the rheostat, said dash-pot arranged to control the rheostat to cut out a portion of the resistance from the motor circuits slowly and to cut out the remainder of the resistance more rapidly at a predetermined rate of speed, means for regulating said predeter mined rate of speed; a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in either of said operative positions, a starting switch, an electromagnet arranged, when energized, to actuate the starting switch and the brake independently, of the reversing switch and to control the automatic rheostat, means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be moved by the electromagnet with the starting switch and the brake, and means for preventing the full energization of the electromagnet until all of the resistance of the automatic rheostat is in the motor circuit.

12. In combination with a motor, a reversing switch therefor, said reversing switch having a movable member arranged to be held in one operative position by gravity and in a second operative position by a latch, an

electrically actuated starting switch for the motor arranged to be actuated independently of the reversing switch, means for mechanically connecting the movable member'ol" the reversing'switch to be moved by the starting switch intojts second operative position, and meansfor releasing said latch and allowing thereversing switch to move back into its first operative position.

13. Incomblnation with a motor, a reversing switch therefor, said. reversing switch havinga movable member arranged to be held in one operative position by gravity and ma second operative position by a latch, an electrically actuated starting switch for the motor arranged to be actuatedindependently of the reversing switch, meansf'or HIGClliLIb ically connecting the reversingswitch to be moved by the starting switch into its second operative position, and an electromagnet [or controlling the connecting means and for releasing the latch to allow the reversing switch to move back into its first operative position 14. In an electric elevator, the combination of a motor, an elevator-car, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in either of said 0 erative positions, a starting switch for sai motor, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the starting switch independently of the reversing switch, means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be actuated by the electromagnet with the starting Switch, and a manually operated switch in the car. r

15. In an electric elevator, the combination of a motor, an elevator-car, circuits for the motor, a brake, an automatic rheostat in the motor circuits, a dash-pot for controlling the action of the rlieostat,saiddash-pot arranged to control the rheostat to cutout a portion of the resistance from the motorcircuit slowly and to cut out the remainder of the resistance more rapidly at a predetermined rate of speed, means for regulating said predetermined rate of speed, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged 'to be held in either of said operativepositions, a starting switch, an

electromagnet arranged, when energized, to

actuate the starting. switchand the brake independently of the reversing switch, and to control the automatic 'rheostat, means for mechanically connecting the reversing switch to be moved by the electromagnet with the starting switch andthe brake, means for'preventing thefull energization of the electromagnet until all of the resistance of the automatic rheostat is in the motor circuit, and a .manually operated switch in the-car.

16 In combination with a motor, a revers ing switch therefor having two operative positions arranged to be held in either of 'said o erativepositions, a starting/switch, an e ectromagnet-arranged to actuate the starting switch independently of the reversing switch, a circuit for. said electromagnet, a second electromagnet arranged to mechanically connect thereversing. switch to be moved by the starting switch, said electromagnet being arranged to control the circuit of the first electromagnet;

17. In-an electric elevator, the combina-- tion'cf a motor, an elevator-car, a reversing switch for the motor having two operative positions and arranged to be held in one of said operative positions by gravity and in another of its operative positions by a latch, a

starting switch, an electromagnet arranged to actuate the starting switch independently of the reversing switch," a circuit for said electr0magnet,.a second electromagnet arranged to be moved by the starting switch into its second 6 era tive position and to release the latch, and allow the reversing switch to move bac'k'into its first operative position, contacts controlled by said second electromag 'net, the circuits of the first electromagnet bean electromagnet. arranged to actuate the brake and the starting switch independently of the reversing switch, and to control the automatic rheostat, a circuit for said electro magnet ;.a second electroinagnet arranged to mechamcallyconnect the reversing switch to be moved by the starting switch into its second operative position and to release the latch and allow the reversing switch to move 'back into its first to e'rative osition contacts controlled by said second electromagnet, a circuit of the first electromagnet being connected to said contacts and controlled by said second electromagnet, means for preventing the actuation of the first electromagnet until all of the resistance of the automatic rh'eostat is in the motor circuit, and a manually operated switch in the car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to th s specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOWARD F. GURNEY. Witnesses:

E. K. LITTLE, FRANK GREENLEAF. 

